Seemingly Healthy Foods Toddlers Shouldn’t Eat

They say that many of the health problems experienced today stem from food. This makes a lot of sense. Nutrition does have a significant influence on a person’s well-being.

In this age of fast food and prepackaged snacks, it’s quite the norm to bombard the body with harmful chemicals masquerading as food grade additives. As dangerous as unwholesome foods are for grownups, they’re even more so for toddlers who are still developing their immune system.

Nonetheless, if food has passed inspection from the proper government agencies, then it has been approved for consumption. That means that eating it should be safe.

What Not to Feed Your Kids

There are nuances to the word “safe” though. While something may not kill you after eating it once or twice, eating it repeatedly over time may very well lower your immune system, dull your cognitive abilities, raise your blood sugar, clog your arteries, etc.

It’s up to you to practice vigilance when it comes to feeding your family. Top nutrition experts naturally advise that you get your little ones on a healthy eating habit while they’re young so they wouldn’t have a hard time making healthy food choices as they grow up.

In determining what goes into your list ofkids’ healthy food, think twice before including the following seemingly nutritious items.

1. Microwave Popcorn

First and foremost, popcorn in itself poses a choking hazard for toddlers. Besides this particular threat, microwave popcorn is also placed in a bag that is lined with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA. This makes sure that the bag doesn’t catch on fire while heating in the microwave. It is, however, linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and many other health issues.

Also, if you choose butter-flavored microwave popcorn, the smell that emanates from it poses risks of popcorn lung, a potentially fatal lung disease.

If you feel that your children can already handle munching on popcorn, opt to just pop some on the stove top. You can use healthy oils and flavors to make a more toddler-friendly snack.

2. Canned Tomatoes

What’s wrong with tomatoes? They’re some of the healthiest foods out there. “Canned” is the description that makes the world of difference. The thing about tomatoes is that they’re acidic and the acid draws out the bisphenol-A (BPA) from the lining of the containers. BPA is a chemical additive that has links to obesity, asthma, reproductive problems, thyroid issues, diabetes, and liver disease.

3. Yogurt

Yogurt is good for you. It has the nutrients present in dairy, and it has live cultures for gut health. It’s a great food for kids, but you need to make sure that the kind you give is not loaded with sugar and artificial additives to make it more commercially viable. Unfortunately, many kids’ yogurt brands are thus enhanced to make them more appealing to kids.

If you want to give your kids truly healthy yogurt, buy the plain kind and just sweeten with honey and fruits.

4. Cereals

Again, you have to pay attention to the ingredients listed. Did they use a ton of sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors, stabilizers, et cetera? Did they use whole grains? Do not be misled by claims of fortification. Even those extra vitamins and minerals can’t diminish the effects of sugar and chemical additives.

When shopping for breakfast cereals, choose ones that are all-natural and unsweetened. You can simply flavor it with your own condiments.

5. Granola Bars

Granola is supposed to be synonymous with crunchy, healthy living, but many granola bars are not as wholesome as they’re advertised to be. If you inspect the ingredients of many kid-geared granola bars, they’re packed with candy bits such as marshmallows, milk chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates, caramel, peppermint patties, etc.

Just like with the other things on this list, make sure that you get something with all wholesome ingredients. If you have the time, you can also just make your own.

Healthful vs. Harmful

When it comes to your family’s nutrition, make sure that the food you serve them is truly good for them. Healthy foods are sometimes compromised by the things added to them or by the way they were prepared, packaged, or stored, so do your research and determine that these products have remained wholesome on their way to the store shelves.